


The Devil's Bridge

by Ailette



Series: Devil Series [1]
Category: New Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Fix-It, Imported, Kinda, M/M, Post-Civil War (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-18
Updated: 2008-06-18
Packaged: 2018-06-05 03:10:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6686785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ailette/pseuds/Ailette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve comes back from the dead and Tony seems to have something to do with it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Devil's Bridge

It was dark. And stuffy. Why was it dark and stuffy? Steve tried to move his head, only to feel his chest exploding with pain. And with the pain, came the memory. The memory of stairs, a sniper, pain, Sharon, more pain and then… death. Steve gasped. He remembered his own death. No one should be able to remember their own death. They shouldn’t be able to think or feel pain either. He blinked. His eyes hurt, just like the rest of his body, but he began to see faint lines around him. He was in some kind of box. _A coffin_.  


Before he had time to panic, however, the lid above him began to move to the left, letting a soft light shine through. Despite its dimness, the light was too bright and he had to close his eyes again. Only when he did so he realized a figure was standing in the light, dark and tall. A man?  


“Steve?” He knew that voice. But that tone… Why did he feel that this voice belonged to someone who didn’t usually sound this insecure and sad? Slowly, he blinked again. The lid had been removed completely and hovering above stood a man in a dark suit, black hair looking dishevelled, goatee a stark contrast to the uncharacteristically pale skin, shining blue eyes looking directly at him. Steve nearly laughed at the expression of utter relief that settled across the other man’s face before he was swooped up in hug so forceful it took the newly breathed in air right out of him again.  


“Steve! Steve. You’re back. Thank god you're back.” It took him a couple of seconds to return the hug and only then did he remember this man’s name.  


“Yes, Tony, I’m back.”  


***   


Even after Steve had climbed out of his coffin and sat down on the soft carpet beneath it, Tony didn’t let go of him. His right hand squeezed his shoulder tightly, unable to let go. Afraid to let go. Tony had asked him how he felt about a dozen times already, in between filling him in on what had happened after his death (Tony grew visibly paler at that word) and hastily explaining to him that he and the other New Avengers were about to be pardoned and that, somehow, something was about to happen with the SHRA in the next 24 hours.  


Steve frowned at all the information he was confronted with. It didn’t make a lot of sense to him. If everything was so easy now, why hadn’t it been done before? Surely Tony wouldn’t start a war when he could just end everything this easily? He opened his mouth to ask when Tony suddenly sprang to his feet and grabbed his hand, trying to lift Steve up with him.  


“Let’s not waste our time by me explaining how I organized this whole thing. SHIELD, the government and pretty much everyone would try to kill me for what I did, so… let’s just forget about it. My contractor said I would only have about half an hour like this and then some more time as… well… and we have to make sure everyone knows you’re not one of those LMDs or a clone. What is it with people and clones anyway? Clones are just stupid. And who would go through the trouble of cloning if they could just make a-”  


Steve followed Tony’s lead blindly, being dragged up and then down to Tony’s garage. Tony’s behaviour was strange. He was talking even faster than when talking his usual technobabble with Reed or Hank. And what was he talking about anyway? It was true that the CEO of Stark Enterprises could completely forget about everyone when faced with a “fascinating” technological problem and just mutter away to himself while tinkering with something, but this was different. He avoided making eye contact with Steve while he never let go of his hand.  


Steve’s brows furrowed. Did Tony feel responsible for his death? Knowing his friend for about ten years now, he almost certainly did. And most likely he felt responsible for every other death that had occurred too. They had arrived in front of Tony’s black BMW and Tony was still talking.  


“-could take a Quinjet, but it’s more fun this way. And a little less obvious, considering that-“  


“Tony.” He yanked on his friend's hand hard, bringing him to a halt. He didn’t turn around though. Steve sighed. “Tony, look at me.” Slowly, Tony complied. First his eyes were cast down, studying Steve’s boots before he carefully looked up and finally met his eyes again. That was better.  


“You know that my death wasn’t your fault. Nor was any other death. What I said the last time we were talking,” – **_You_** _made this war!_ \- “wasn’t right. I was angry. I didn’t understand the world anymore. I looked for the easiest solution out of that mess. And the easiest solution was blaming you. But I was wrong. You do stupid things I don’t understand all the time. Only later I realize why you did something. You are a futurist. You try to prevent the bad things before they happen. It only occurred to me much later that this was probably one of those actions. You should have come to me earlier and explained properly, then maybe none of this would have ever-“  


Steve stopped talking at Tony’s cold laugh. He frowned. What was wrong with his old friend? “So you do think it was my fault. If I had contacted you earlier, none of this would have happened? Cap, I tried to talk to you several times. You didn’t listen. I don’t blame myself for this war; I blame the both of us.”  


“But then… what is it?”  


Tony glanced sideways, avoiding his eyes once more. When he spoke again, the coldness had vanished from his voice. “Your death. I didn’t see that coming. I should have, I should have been able to prevent it, but I didn’t.”  


“I don’t understand.”  


“Without you, the whole thing doesn’t work. We need you. America needs you.” Tony paused, clenching his eyes shut as if he was in pain, before he opened them again slowly, looking down at his hands in wonder. “Please get in the car. We need to get to the Capitol.”  


Caught off guard by Tony’s sudden change of behaviour Steve complied and got behind the steering-wheel. When he turned his head, Tony had already settled next to him in the passenger seat. Automatically he started the engine and drove out of the garage, onto the street. A couple of minutes passed in silence before Steve cleared his throat.  


“Why do we need to get to the Capitol? Shouldn’t we tell the others I’m back?”  


“Don’t worry. Everyone will be there.” Tony’s voice sounded oddly light and emotionless. His anger, his despair from only minutes ago seemed to have vanished completely. Judging solely by the sound of his voice, Tony didn’t have a single care in the world. Tony always had some kind of problem. The man was simply unable to be completely satisfied or happy. _Why_ …  


“Why is everyone there?” Steve frowned. That wasn’t what he had wanted to ask. There was something more important he needed to know. It had irked him since he woke up. A question in the back of his mind, just beyond his reach. _Why am…  
_

“Your funeral was supposed to take place today.”  


“Oh.” And with that, Steve fell silent. The need to remember the question grew steadily and he couldn’t concentrate on anything else for the duration of their ride.  


***   


He stopped the car behind a giant statue - of himself. He would have asked about that, but Tony was already out of the car looking at the red curtain in front of them. Weird. Steve hadn’t even heard the car door open and close. As soon as he got out himself he heard the sound of hundreds of people muttering quietly.  


“You have to get on the stage and explain that you’re back. They will be worried by now why there is no body, no casket and no Tony Stark.”  


Steve sighed heavily. He wasn't looking forward to this, but it couldn’t be helped. “Well, then let’s get going.” He held his hand out for Tony, smiling shyly. At least he wouldn’t have to face this alone. Tony had brought him back. There still was something between them, even after the mess of the Civil War. But Tony didn’t move towards him. He just looked down at his hand, a sad expression taking the place of the emotionless mask on his face. For a moment it looked like he would take Steve’s hand, then he just shook his head.  


“I’m sorry, Steve.” He took a step back.  


“For what?”  


“You’ll be angry when you hear what I did.” Uneasiness came over Steve at these words. The question gained importance once more. _Why am I_ …  


“You wanted to ask me something. I made sure you wouldn’t think of it until now, but my time is nearly up and I guess I owe you this explanation.”  


And suddenly, something clicked inside Steve’s head. Not only did he realize that he could look through Tony’s left leg, but the question finally entered his mind.  


“ _Why am I back_?”  


A sad smile played along Tony’s lips. He looked heartbroken. “I made an exchange. A deal with Mephisto. My soul for your life.”  


_ “Without you, the whole thing doesn’t work. We need you. America needs you.” Tony paused, clenching his eyes shut as if he was in pain, _ **he fell to the ground** _before he opened them again slowly_ **standing once more** _, looking down at his hands in wonder **.**_ **Except he wasn’t looking at his hands. He was looking down at his own body, lying motionless beneath him**. _“Please get in the car. We need to get to the Capitol.”_ **And Steve’s mind went blank only for a second, forgetting what he had just seen.** _Caught off guard by Tony’s sudden change of behaviour Steve complied and got behind the steering-wheel.  
_

Tony’s body. Steve gasped as he finally understood to the fullest just what Tony had done to bring him back. He had given his own life. Still in shock he looked up to see Tony, now nearly invisible, still smiling his sad little smile.  


“How could you do this, Anthony?”  


“I told you before (but you were dead then). _The worst has happened. The one thing I can’t live with has happened._ You died.”  


Steve continued to stare at Tony. That couldn’t possibly be all! That was his reason – his reason for giving away his life? It sounded too simple. It shouldn’t be this easy to decide to die for someone else.  


But Tony had yanked his own heart out, he had exposed himself to lethal gas, he had jumped in front of countless power blasts, to save Steve’s life. It had always been easy for Tony to risk his life for him. But that wasn’t all it was this time, was it? Tony had given up his _soul_ for him.  


Steve quivered when he suddenly heard Tony’s voice directly next to his ear. He turned his head but couldn’t see him. “Don’t let them down like I did, Steve.”  


He started walking towards the curtain against his will. As soon as he set foot on the stage, hundreds of people fell silent, staring at him. “They need _you_. Not me.” And with that, Tony’s voice faded away. Only, it wasn’t just his voice. It was his entire being that faded away. Steve had never felt so alone in his life, while everyone he ever knew seemed to be there. Because Tony was gone.

**Author's Note:**

> (Originally posted at http://ailette.livejournal.com/9336.html)  
> Beta: tmelange


End file.
